Unless otherwise noted, all photos and text are by Toby Weiss, and copyrighted to same.
Blogging the built environment since May 2005.
You don’t need an architecture degree to know the built environment, just a set of eyes to observe with.
One of my favorite slams in this blog’s comments is, “I don’t really understand the motivations of left wing highly opinionated academic types.” I’m still pondering how tear-down and in-fill supposedly reveals political affiliation. But I understand the gist of it: only people schooled in architecture go on about architecture, condescendingly.
I have no degrees of any sort, am autodidactic rather than academic, and am just trying to make sense of and record the world around me. I have also been exasperated by the proclamations of “academic types” when their opinions are based on theory rather than reality.
We live in and use the built environment everyday, yet we’re too often hesitant to speak up lest we sound stupid…. to architectural academics who don’t live in your world? Please.
Let’s talk about buildings and spaces in a language we all understand. Let’s really see what’s around us rather than look. Let’s accidentally pick up some useful information along the way. Let’s dance!
Recognition
2013 RFT Web Award Winner for Best Architecture Blog
Top 100 Architectural Blog
50 Most Amazing Architectural Photography Blogs
Best Local Website – RFT
For more info about the blogger, visit TobyWeiss.com.
Thank you for asking. Life got in the way of anything resembling regular posting. It would be wonderful to get back to it at some point. But for now, thankful it’s all still active and available for anyone researching something specific. History never expires, right?
Are you still active?
My dad’s Uncle, AF “Jack” Short was the kitchen manager for the Top of the Tower restaurant for nearly 30 years and lived in one of the apartments below. I remember visiting as a kid and seeing the limos lined up on Saturday night. Going to the pool in the basement, the market and bowling alley next door. It was the coolest thing for a 10 year old – you can live, work, shop, go to the movies, etc and never have to drive anywhere?? And it was perfect for Uncle Jack who hated to drive – he would take the bus to watch the Cardinal’s games. If it got too late and he missed bus service, he would have to take a cab all the way back.
Thank you for keeping the history of the Lewis & Clark Tower alive
Looking for any information about architect Frank McGuire to confirm he did some work in Manchester, MO “Winston Park” subdivision.
Hello there ,
How are you doing?
I wanted to bring to your attention that you have a broken link on this page on your site:
beltstl.com/page/25/
You have a link to bbbs.org/site/c.mlIUIfN4JyE/b.4255557/k.9D9B/Our_Building.htm which is no longer live.
I suggest you update the page, as other resources you gave are really great.
I worked at Rizzo’s Top of Tower Restaurant in 1973 while I was going to Jennings High School. I took my drivers license test at the DMV located on the lower level, and I always appreciated and enjoyed the style of the building, it had a good vibe. Working in the restaurant was as cool as a restaurant job could be, we would occasionally have to go down to Stelmacki’s to get some easy-off oven cleaner to clean the open hearth hoods, not cool! The restaurant seemed very swank to me at the age of 17 and the food was good, I took my wife there in the mid 80s to see if it were how I remembered. We had a good time and I was glad I was able to experience it as an adult. I’m sorry to see places like the Lewis & Clark tower go by the way side, but unfortunately nothing last forever.